Containers which are returnable/reusable are useful for the transportation, storage, and display of goods in commerce. Such containers, commonly called tote boxes, must be of sufficiently rigid construction to enable safe and damage free transport and storage of goods contained therein. These tote boxes are frequently designed so as to be stacked or mounted in a nesting relation for convenient transportation or storage of the tote boxes. In order to be stackable, the upper edge of the container or tote box is typically reinforced with a top rail or rim member which is adapted to receive another tote box stacked thereupon. For example, applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,601, which is fully incorporated herein, discloses a unitary top rail adapted to fit over the tops of the box walls. In addition, applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,349,877, 6,460,724; and 6,547,127, each of which is fully incorporated herein, each disclose a top rail made up of several pieces including four corner pieces.
It is conventional to use a variety of materials for the construction of such tote boxes. Such materials typically consist of corrugated paperboard, corrugated plastic sheet, sheet metal and other such materials.
Typically, in order to identify the contents of a container such a tote box, a plastic label holder is taped, glued or otherwise secured to the outer surface of the container or box. The label holder has a thickness so that it projects outwardly from the generally planar outer surface of the tote box wall. When the tote box is moving down an assembly line or being transported, the label holder may catch or snag on items in an undesirable manner. For example, one tote box may catch on the label holder of an adjacent tote box and cause the label holder to tear off. Another possibility is that the tote box may turn over spilling the contents of the tote box when the projecting label holder attached to the tote box catches on something. In addition, the assembly line may have to be shut down, thereby reducing productivity and wasting time. Consequently, the present practice of attaching label holders directly to the container wall may add cost and manufacturing time to the manufacturing process in which the container is used thereby reducing efficiencies in the manufacturing process.
Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a label holder insert for use with a container which does not project beyond the outer surface of the container walls.
Another objective of this invention has been to provide such an injection molded label recess holder for use with a box or container which may be quickly and easily inserted into existing boxes or containers.